5:2 Diet

They don't have to be consecutive actually, but obviously it's easier to get started with non consecutive fast days.
I know someone who lost 3 stones. I started 5:2 thus week, had my first fast day yesterday. I think the keys are:
- go as long as possible without eating. I made it to 4.30pm then had a slice of ham
- drink water, peppermint tea etc to fill up your stomach
- avoid carbs on fast days. Protein is your friend, as is soup. I ate that slice of ham, a hard boiled egg and 2 bowls of homemade lentil soup yesterday. Kept hunger at bay.
- go to bed early!! Makes the day go quicker ;-)

It's just another way to manage calories, it's not a fad. The goal is to regulate your calories in a way that makes you comfortable. Some people do really well on it because during the rest of the week they don't feel restricted, others don't do well because daily restriction is easier for them. I use it sometimes but there is nothing magical about it. If you feel it's easier for you than restricting all week long then it's the diet for you, if you feel it's harder then it's not.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/100058-5-2-fasting

If you're interested, come and join one of the groups on here. Lots of people have had success with it, though many have also found that it's not for them. That's OK, we're all different, a one-size-fits-all approach isn't good. Try it for a month and see how you feel about it.

Go to the communities around 5:2, do some reading and try it out for a few weeks, try it out and find out if it's for you. If it is great! If not there is no shame in trying something else.

Personally, I tried it for a week and it just wasn't for me, I don't deal well with being hungry (and my blood sugar fluctuated like crazy and made me tired and cranky)

I've done the 5:2 very successfully last year for a few weeks before going on holiday and now I'm starting my weight loss journey properly I'm using it to boost the loss along with a healthy diet and exercise the rest of the week. When you get creative it's amazing how much you can actually eat on 500 cals and to make sure I dont feel like I'm depriving myself I always make room for a big bowl of low cal jelly in the evenings which, depending on the brand, comes in at 10-20 cals.

Apart from the very first day I did it last year I've never felt real hunger and every time you do it it gets easier. And seeing the lbs literally drop off is amazing!

I'm pretty sure that the days are supposed to be non-consecutive.
As for the exercise part, that's gonna be trial and error. Some can get away with light exercise, some make that a rest day. Others eat an extra 100 calories.

rybo wrote: »

I'm pretty sure that the days are supposed to be non-consecutive.
As for the exercise part, that's gonna be trial and error. Some can get away with light exercise, some make that a rest day. Others eat an extra 100 calories.

They don't "have" to be non-consecutive , it's just that it's preferable because it's easier for most people. Really, there are way less rules to this than people think. As for exercise, do them if you want don't do them if you don't feel up to it.

cgangl1821 wrote: »

Also, what if you accidently go over on a fast day? Would you just switch it to the next day or add in exercise to make up the difference?

You don't eat back exercise calories on a fast day.

Don't get too hung up on being ultra precise - that's just adding unnecessary stress. The 500 or 600 fast day limit just comes from an approximation of a quarter of an average daily intake.
I actually find 650 calories easy and 600 calories extremely restrictive - just not worth the aggravation for 50 calories.

By the way when it first came out the days were supposed to be non-consecutive but that recommendation later got dropped.

BiancaSumera wrote: »

This will cause starvation mode in the body, you'll find once you eat carbs or starches your body will go into bindge mode.

Sorry but this is completely ludicrous!

I never sweat it if I go over by anything up to 100. Even then you're still way, way under the recommended cals so it's really not going to be much of a difference. Also I wouldn't recommend doing it on consecutive days at first. Let your body (and your mind - it's all in the mind!) get used to it first for a few weeks and if you feel like you could manage it then give it a shot. I wouldn't make it a regular thing though cause although in the morning when you start the fast tomorrow seems ages away, it's there before you know it and that keeps you going in the beginning when it's tough

cgangl1821 wrote: »

Wonderful advice everyone, thank you. Today is my first fast day, and I did join the group for 5:2. It looks like I will be keeping myself massivly busy to keep my mind off of food. Lol. Tea sounds like a wonderful alternative to help keep my mind off of it. Day 1 is always the hardest. I do like how flexable this is. ☺

Here is another alternative: if you like cocoa in your coffee, a packet of splenda and you're done for 20 calories. The richness of cocoa and caffeine in coffee should keep hunger at bay for a couple of hours

Dumb duh